Septic systems are something people forget about until something happens… Then septic problems take over their senses. Not a pleasant situation to put yourself in, especially when it’s so easy to avoid.
Every system needs maintenance and inspections. The more care you put into something, the fewer problems it causes. So regular inspections are crucial for the health of the vital part of your home. But you still need to know which type of inspection to book. Otherwise, you might waste money or give yourself a false feeling of security.
Full Septic System Inspections
A full septic system inspection is required to buy or sell a house. But people who don’t plan to move should do a full inspection every 3-5 years. Look at that as going for a full health check. You need it to be sure you’re healthy (or to know how to regain your health).
Yet, we don’t want you to freak out during the inspection, so we’ll tell you what to expect.
What Does a Full Septic System Include?
- Basic visual inspection (looking at visible components of your system).
- Checking the system’s age and maintenance history.
- Flushing toilets and turning on faucets to check the pressure.
- Looking for standing water on top of the drain field.
- Dye test to see if there are any leaks close to the surface.
- Locating and opening a septic tank.
- Checking the capacity and condition of the tank.
- Septic system pumping.
- Locating and inspecting D-boxes.
- Drainfield evaluation and soil conditions.
As you can see, no stones are left unturned during the full inspection. That’s why they’re done by plumbing contractors with the required equipment and skills. You can help by locating your tank, but don’t try to do anything else because it might mess up the results of some tests.
In some cases, it’s unnecessary to pump the tank (if it’s almost empty, sludge thickness is ok, etc.). But we still recommend doing a full inspection once in 5 years, even if you know your tank is far from overflowing. There are hidden problems visual inspection can’t discover…
Does that make visual inspections useless? No. Far from it.
Visual Septic System Inspections
Some people (even plumbing contractors) think that visual inspections are a waste of time and money. But that’s not true.
Yes, visual inspection is just the surface level of the full inspection. But look at it from this angle…
If you’d done a full inspection last year and your system is well maintained, why would you check everything so soon? There’s no need (unless something unexpected happened in the meantime).
And you can do some aspects of visual inspection on your own. Yet, it’s always better to call professionals, especially if you want to do the dye test. Note that home inspectors can do visual inspections too.
What Does a Visual Septic System Inspections Include?
Visual inspection is actually the intro to the full inspection.
- Basic visual inspection (looking at visible components of your system).
- Checking the system’s age and maintenance history.
- Flushing toilets and turning on faucets to check the pressure.
- Looking for standing water on top of the drain field.
- Dye test to see if there are any leaks close to the surface.
And yes, you can do most of that on your own. And you should do it once a year. Also, if you can reach your tank and D-box, check them once a year. If there are any emergencies, you’ll notice them.
But don’t stress… Call the Lawrenceville, GA plumbers who’ve faced all septic issues many times. We’ll know what to do.